Blickensderfer 6 Ink and Roller
Blickensderfer machines use ink rollers rather than a ribbon. For the Blick No. 6, the dimensions are approximately 8mm (1/4 inch) diameter and 1cm (3/8 inch) long. The originals are getting difficult to find, but you can make your own.
What it takes:
- dense wool felt
- A sharp craft knife
- Sharp, small scissors like embroidery scissors
- a small metal skewer or thick needle to punch a hole
Use your knife to carve a small cylinder into shape a bit larger than you need. Go slowly and have patience. Dense wool is hard to cut in a round shape. Trim the roller with the scissors until it's as round as possible. Use the needle or skewer to repeatedly jab it at the points that stick out until it's round.
The roller can be slightly smaller that optimal, but larger will cause it to either not spin or to rub on your paper. Ideally, you want a perfect cylinder. If the pad is thinner in the middle your ink will not be applied well.
Tips: Start with a wool polishing bob and cut it to size. You'll already have the basic shape, the right wool, and hole most of the way through. You won't need the knife in this case
You can use stamp ink - pigment or anything water based is fine. You can also make your own ink by mixing liquid watercolours or fountain pen ink with glycerine. So far, the best ink seems to be Tsukineko Ultimate Pigment Ink. It comes in several nice colours as well as black.
Do not use solvent based inks. They will break down the cylinder.
